Not everyone is a fan of historical K-dramas and that’s understandable since they share totally different culture and history and people might not be interested to know about them. Most of the people who enter into the world of K-dramas, do it with modern ones where they get to see pretty faces in tending clothes, dating at exciting places, driving fancy cars rather than watching some scheming sageuk ministers and heavily dressed leads talking in mainland Korean dialect.
However, no matter what your K-Drama preference is, there are a few Korean series that are not the typical historical ones and are capable enough to captivate all kinds of viewers. You might think that history is a bore, but let’s not assume things without even trying. Here are our top K-Drama recommendations from various genres within the historical ones that you might love. Let’s get started.
9. Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016)
Screenwriter: Park Eun Young
Director: Yoon Sung Shik, Kim Young Jo
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Go Ah Ra, Park Hyung Shik, Seo Yea Ji, Choi Min Ho, Do Ji Han
Total Number of Episodes: 20
With a star-studded cast, Hwarang was one of the most anticipated historical K-drama that depicts the tale of an elite group of male knights or Hwarangs in the Kingdom of Silla. The story follows Queen Jiso who has been ruling Silla as a regent after her father’s death, raising her son Sammaekjong protected from the enemies. As the future King comes of age, everyone in the Kingdom including officials and citizens gets impatient for the queen to transfer the powers. However, with powerful nobles as enemies who have kept eyeing the throne, the queen fears the aftermath of her ceding the powers. She decides to curb the powers of the nobles, who have been enjoying great privileges under the system of bone ranking by creating a new elite team, the Hwarang.
The group of men will be trained hard to be capable enough to cut across the already-existing power factions and use them to protect the future King of the kingdom. Hwarang showcases the bond of friendships and love which grows over time. Not to mention that the lead cast of the show are supportive best friends in real life as well. You can check the show out on multiple platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Viki and We TV.
8. Lovers of the Red Sky (2021)
Screenwriter: Kim Young Young
Director: Jang Tae Yoo
Starring: Kim Yoo Jung, Ahn Hyo Seop, Gong Myung, Kwak Shi Yang, Kim Kwang Gyu, Choi Kwang Il
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Based in the Dan dynasty of Korea, ‘Lovers of the Red Sky’ is a fantasy rom-com that features demons, ghosts and gods. While Hong Chun Gi was originally born blind, she somehow manages to regain vision and enrols herself in a prestigious art school owing to her exceptional talent in painting, despite the society not supporting women pursuing their dreams. On the other hand, Ha Ram is an astrologer who, even though was born with sight, currently suffers from blindness after a childhood accident. However, he possesses the ability to read the future by carving the trajectory of the night sky.
As the two individuals fall in love with each other, they need to overcome the political challenges of the royal court, which primarily involves the free-spirited and cheerful Prince Yang Myung and the cruel Prince Joo Hyang who dreams of ascending the thrown one day. The show is still on air but you can always watch the old episodes on Viki for the time being.
7. The Tale of Nokdu (2019)
Screenwriter: Baek So Yeon, Im Ye Jin
Director: Kim Dong Hwi, Kang Soo Yeon, Lee Hyun Jin
Starring: Jang Dong Yoon, Kim So Hyun, Kang Tae Oh, Jung Joon Ho, Kim Tae Woo, Yoon Yoo Sun
Total Number of Episodes: 32
The show revolves around a skilled and witty swordsman named Jeon Nok Du who has been living on an island with his family. He hasn’t been allowed to study or visit the mainland ever since he was a kid, until one day when both his father and older brother get attacked by some female assassins. While chasing one of them, he comes across Dong Dong Ju, who was trying to shoot the King but Nok Du stops her, saving her from trouble. The assassin whom Jeon Nok Du was chasing enters into an enigmatic women-only village and so does Nok Du. He disguises himself as a woman named Kim Nok-soon in order to find details of his birth.
There, he crosses paths with Dong Dong Ju again who does not want to be a gisaeng and is determined to take revenge for her family. The show is available to watch on Netflix, Viki and Viu, subbed in English.
6. Rooftop Prince (2012)
Screenwriter: Lee Hee Myung
Director: Ahn Gil Ho, Shin Yoon Sub
Starring: Han Ji Min Park Yoo Chun, Jung Yoo Mi, Lee Tae Ri, Lee Tae Sung, Choi Woo Shik
Total Number of Episodes: 20
A supernatural rom-com, ‘Rooftop Prince’ is about a Joseon crown prince named Yi Gak who, after the mysterious death of his wife, ends up getting transported to modern-day Seoul. He encounters corporate intrigue, modern-day devices and some familiar faces, including that of Hong Se Na, who seemed to be a doppelgänger of his late wife. What’s more surprising is, that he looked like Yong Tae Yong, the grandson of the owner of the company where Se Na is an employee.
He decides to uncover the mystery that led to the death of his wife 300 years ago, assuming the identity of Yong Tae Yong. He believes that staying close to Hong Se Na and marrying her will bring him a step closer to knowing more about his past time period. The plotline covers all that you need in a good drama, humour, romance, suspense as well as emotional aspects. You can watch all the episodes on Viki, Netflix and Prime Video.
5. 100 Days My Prince (2018)
Screenwriter: Noh Ji Sul
Director: Lee Jong Jae, Nam Sung Woo
Starring: Do Kyung Soo, Nam Ji Hyun, Kim Seon Ho, Han So Hee, Jo Sung Ha, Kim Jae Young
Total Number of Episodes: 16
The story revolves around the cold and demanding Crown Prince of Joseon, Lee Yul, who passes a law that states that everyone in Korea must be married by the age of 28. After an accident, Prince Lee Yul gets injured severely and discovers himself under the care and nurture of the Hong household. Owing to his injuries, he loses his memories temporarily and begins to roam around as a commoner of free will.
However, the law passed by him bounds Hong Shim, who is the oldest unmarried woman at the moment in the village, to get married for avoiding punishment. She is an intelligent and strong woman supporting herself and her father, the same family who took the prince under their care. Lee Yul asks her to have a marriage of convenience with him to escape the situation but romance begins to bud soon. And then what happens is the recovery of the prince’s amnesia. The show is overall very lightweight and easy to watch. You can find it online on Netflix and Rakuten Viki.
Read: Top Ten BL Asian Dramas To Watch On Netflix
4. The Moon Embracing The Sun (2012)
Screenwriter: Jin Soo Wan
Director: Lee Sung Joon, Kim Do Hoon
Starring: Han Ga In, Kim Soo Hyun, Jung Il Woo, Kim Min Seo, Kim Yoo Jung, Yeo Jin Goo
Total Number of Episodes: 20
The story follows the thirteen-year-old daughter of a high-ranking official, Heo Yeon Woo who comes across the Crown Prince Lee Hwon while accompanying her mother to the royal palace. As both of them fall in love, Yeon Woo gets chosen to be the Crown Princess of Joseon. However, the Dowager Queen decides to kill her off in order to have Yoon Bo Gyeong, from her clan, to be the Crown Princess who will secure more power to her. Surprisingly, Yeon Woo is revived from her grave after a shaman’s spell kills her but she ends up losing her memories.
She returns in sight after eight years as a shaman named Wol. Meanwhile, Lee Hwon had been refusing to marry someone else all these years and decides to look into the death of his love after he comes across the grown-up Wol. On the other hand, the powerful political clan of the Queen starts to oppose the king and schemes to remove him from power. The series is available to watch online on Netflix and Rakuten Viki.
3. Mr. Sunshine (2018)
Screenwriter: Kim Eun Sook
Director: Lee Eung Bok
Starring- Lee Byung Hun, Kim Tae Ri, Kim Min Jung, Yoo Yeon Seok, Byun Yo Han, Kim Gab Soo
Total Number of Episodes: 24
If you want to watch a K-drama that has everything in it, ‘Mr. Sunshine’ might be the one for you. With a talented and stunning cast, a hooking and compelling plotline that is more than enough to keep you engaged till the end, mesmerizing cinematography, dimensional characters and even comic relief, there’s no way one can dislike the show. The show centres on a young boy named Eugene Choi, born into a family of slaves, who escapes from Korea during the 1871 U.S. expedition and returns later as a U.S. marine officer to his homeland at a historical turning point.
He comes across Go Ae-shin, the granddaughter of an aristocrat, who comes from the Righteous Army and falls in love with her. However, with the differences in social classes between Ae-shin and Eugene and the fact that Ae-shin is betrothed to a nobleman named Kim Hui-seong since childhood, there is no way their love story could remain simple. Meanwhile, Eugene comes to know about a scheme plotted by the Japanese forces in order to colonize Korea. You can watch the show on Netflix along with English subtitles.
2. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)
Screenwriter: Jo Yoon Young
Director: Kim Kyu Tae
Starring: IU, Lee Joon Gi, Kang Ha Neul, Nam Joo Hyuk, Hong Jong Hyun, Byun Baek Hyun
Total Number of Episodes: 20
The K-drama known for being a tear-jerker with a lot of bloodshed, political scheming and backstabbing, ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ revolves around a time travel that takes Go Ha Jin back to the beginning of the Goryeo Dynasty, during the reign of King Taejo. Go Ha Jin finds herself in the body of Hae Soo, a 16-year-old girl taking shelter in the house of the Eighth Prince Wang Wook, the husband of her cousin.
While her residence in the palace, she comes across and become friends with several of the princes until she meets Wang So, the cold-natured fourth prince. Without even realising it, Ha Jin becomes a pawn in the game for the succession of power, political enmity and sibling rivalry as the princes fall in love with her. The show focuses on the theme of reincarnation and the fated romance of the leads. You can check out the show online on Prime Video, Viki and Viu.
1. Mr. Queen (2020)
Screenwriter: Park Kye Ok, Choi Ah Il
Director: Yoon Sung Shik
Starring: Kim Jung Hyun, Shin Hye Sun, Bae Jong Ok, Kim Tae Woo, Seol In Ah, Jo Yun Hee
Total Number of Episodes: 20
One of the highest-rated Korean dramas, ‘Mr. Queen’ centres on an elite chef of the President’s Blue House, Jang Bong-Hwan, who, after a series of accidents, ends up in the body of a young queen in the Joseon Dynasty named Kim So-Yong. Startled, shocked and confused at the same time, Bong-Hwan, now Kim So-Yong, finds herself in the middle of strong and dirty politics. The late King Sunjo’s wife, Queen Sunwon, holds the real power in the Kingdom while the current King Cheoljong, is just a figurehead who goes according to her wishes. At least, in the eyes of the citizens. In fact, he has his own share of secrets and has no intention to continue ruling in a corrupt environment according to her wishes.
Despite knowing that the King will end up with a bad name in the future history books, Kim So-Yong decides to help Cheoljong in order to end an era of ill-doings. You can watch all the episodes of the drama online on Prime Video, Viu and Viki.
